England

England has long since been a thorn in my side. Previous trips to London were far from ideal; the city and I seem to have developed a mutual feeling of distrust. So it was a with a wary eye that I stepped foot back into the country last week. In my mind England had a lot of apologizing to do.

Fortunately, my week was sensational. The first good decision I made was to avoid London proper and spend most of my time exploring the English countryside instead. "Charming" isn't a word that's usually in my vocabulary (I just confirmed this with a quick blog search — "charming" is nowhere to be found), but there's no other way to describe the English countryside: it's charming. The English love a good brick building and the land is peppered with a variety of old brick walls, houses and facades.

Speaking of old, the amount of history in England can't be overstated. Yeah, "duh," I know. But I still can't believe how every singly city is just steeped in history. Oxford (pictures here), for example, is obviously well known as one of the oldest universities in the world. But it's amazing to read through Oxford's history and stumble across all the famous people who've studied, lived, and left their mark on the town. Next to Oxford is Blenheim palace (pictures), the largest palace in England. Not only is it home to generations of famous dukes and earls, it also happens to be where Winston Churchill lived. And just a short train trip north is Warwick (pictures), one of the top 10 castles in all of Europe. As an unabashed Gothic fanatic, I couldn't help but feel giddy as I walked along the ancient castles walls at sunset, envisioning the medieval view over the old village. And then there's Stonehenge (pictures). In a country filled with history, Stonehenge is heads and shoulders above anything else. It is old. Built in 4000 BC, it was already ancient ruins when the Romans stumbled across the site in 43 AD.

So yeah, England has done its part and has won me over.